1907 railway death

[noytd]

My great grandfather's brother Charles Jenkins (1878-1907) was killed in Bank Quay Station in Warrington on the 24 April 1907. The cause of death on his death certificate is recorded as "Killed by falling off his engine. Accident." An inquest was held on the 24 April. At the time he was a fireman working for the LNWR.

Unfortunately the inquest was not reported in the local Warrington or Crewe (where he lived) newspapers, the only mention of him is a report of his funeral which gives no further details of the circumstances of his death. The cornors report also seems to be missing.

So I was just wondering if I have any chance of finding out about the circumstances of his death? I am unable to visit Kew myself but would it be worth me employing a researcher to look at the railway records?

[Redroger]

The survival rate for inquest records is poor, where they survive they are in the local record office. I would try them first, and then enter his name into the search engine of the National Archives. If it comes up then great, if not enter other details  and see if there is anything.I would only employ a researcher after I had tried these other ideas.Further thoughts, try the Trade Unions, ASLEF first, and then RMT. Most workers were in a trade union, and the overwhelming bulk of footplate men in ASLEF.

[noytd]

Many thanks for the reply and tips.

I have tried searching on the National Archives website but found nothing. I have searched the online Lancashire Archives catalogue, again nothing. The Cheshire archives say that they have no coronors records outside of Chester dating before 1922. I know that Warrington Library have no idea where any report might be as they were the ones who found the funeral report for me.

I have also tried searching for Charles Jenkins on the Ancestry Railway records, but again nothing. However, this didn't surprise me. A lot of my ancestors were train drivers for LNWR during the late Victorian period and none of them appear on that particlar database. Do records for drivers/firemen for LNWR from that era still exist?

Recently I did email the RMT asking for information regarding my great uncle who was a NUR officeholder during the 1960s/early 1970s in Crewe, but they said they had no records at all dating that far back. I believe the University of Warwickshire have these records now and that they require a union membership number as the records arent indexed? Do you know if ASLEF still hold records dating back to 1907?

[Redroger]

ASLEF  was founded in 1881, and I believe their historic archive is comprehensive. Even if their records are at the University of Warwick, then it should be possible tyo make progress as I would think a case for compensation would have been made on the family's behalf by the Union's solicitors.

[meles]

It is not possible to seek compensation for an injury/death 10 years after the incident.

meles

Forget that nonsense. Trying to delete, but can't!

[Redroger]

Know that feeling too Meles If a claim was made and records have survived then I believe the report of the coroner would be included in the evidence presented in pursuit of a claim.

[EHDD]

Further to previous posts I would suggest looking at the ‘Reports by the Assistant Inspecting Officers of Railways on Accidents to Railway Servants and other persons on Railway Premises.’ These were published following the enactment of the Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Act in 1900 and cover the period from approximately 1900 to the outbreak of the Second World War with a short lapse during the First World War. The Reports were published quarterly and for each individual company or joint company give details of the circumstances of the deaths and serious injuries sustained by drivers, fireman, engine cleaners, train guards, brakesmen, shunters, capstan operators, dock labourers, coal tippers and permanent way men etc in their employ. The Reports also identify the cause of the death or injury and highlight any modifications to equipment and/or working rules or practices or supervision of the rules which in the Assistant Inspector’s opinion would avoid a reoccurrence of the incident.
The back ground to the introduction of the legislation was that whilst by the end of the Nineteenth Century passenger fatalities had been reduced in some years to single figures the toll of railway servants was still unacceptably high. By 1922 24 passengers were killed and 502 injured on Britain’s railways in the same year 225 railwaymen were killed and 3,886 injured.
The Assistant Inspecting Officers Reports were published as part of the Railway Accident Reports viz. Quarterly Reports of Inspecting Officers of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade (after 1919 Ministry of Transport).
I know that Birmingham Reference Library holds the Reports for 1907 as does the National Railway Museum, York. It would also be probably worth trying the University of Leicester.
In my experience railway trade union officials at a local level can be most helpful but unfortunately such cooperation does not extend to the Union HQs and there would be little point in contacting them. I hope the above is helpful.

Helen (information from husband)

[Redroger]

Helen, Thanks for codifying and crystalising my thoughts. I knew there was a series of reports, but couldn't recall sufficient information to commit to a post. Regarding your experience with the rail Trade Unions, that is what I would expect from RMT, but my experience of the others has always been positive.

[noytd]

Many thanks for that most useful information, it certainly gives me some avenues of exploration